Handle for the covers of cooking utensils and the like.



J. FRITZ.

HANDLE FOR THE COVERS 01 COOKING UTENSILS AND THE LIKE.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 16, 1913.

Patented Apr. 14, 191- Jwlim Fritz,

Qxmmaowo COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO" WASHINGTON; D. C-

UNITED STATES PATENT JULIUS FRITZ, OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA.

HANDLE FOR THE COVERS OF COOKING UTENSILS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, JULIUs FRITZ, citizen ofthe United States, residing at Petaluma, in the county of Sonoma andState of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Handles for the Covers of Cooking Utensils and the like, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to a looped handle or finger piece for thelids or covers of cooking utensils or the like, the object of theinvention being to provide a simple and inexpensive finger piece whichembodies novel features of construction whereby it normally has atendency to spring into an upright position, although it can be readilyfolded fiat against the cover or lid when necessary so as to admit of anumber of the lids being placed on top of each other and packed closelytogether when not in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a finger piece of thischaracter which can be readily applied to a cover or lid, which normallytends to spring outwardly away from the cover so that it does not becomeintensely heated with the cover and can be readily grasped, and alsowhich can be easily constructed from spring wire.

IVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fullyappear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof beingpointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of a cover or lid provided with a finger piececonstructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged planview of the same with a portion of the cover broken away, the fingerpiece being shown in full lines as projected outwardly away from thelid, and by dotted lines as folded down against the upper surface of thelid. Fig. 3 is an end view of the finger piece, showing the same asapplied to a cover or lid. Fig. i is a vertical sectional View on theline 44: of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a detail View of the ferrule memberbefore the end tangs thereof are bent into position against the lowersurface of the cover.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indi cated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment ofthe invention, thenumeral 1 designates a cover or lid which may be of any conventionalconstruction and is shown as provided at the center thereof with a slit2. The finger piece 3 has a looped formation and is constructed from asingle length of spring wire. The body portion of the wire is bent toform a ring or loop, while the extremities 3 of the wire are straightand have a parallel relation to each other. In the initial formation ofthe ring or finger piece 3, the opposite sides thereof are de flectedlaterally in opposite directions so that the extremities 3 of the wireat the base of the loop are spaced quite an appreciable distance apart.It will be observed that these straight ends or extremities 8* of thewire strip are normally disposed in a plane which is transverse and atsubstantially right angles to the plane of the body portion of the loop,and in assembling the parts these straight ends 8 are sprung *inwardlytoward each other so as to place the wire body portion of the loop undertension, and then inserted into a flattened ferrule l. This ferrule 4 isshown as formed from a single strip of sheet material, the end portionsof the ferrule being inserted through the slit I 2 of the cover 1 andthen bent laterally in opposite directions against the lower surface ofthe cover, as indicated at 4%, so as to retain the ferrule in positionupon the cover. In order to facilitate bending of the end portions ortangs 4? of the ferrule l, the strip is weakened at the places ofbending in some suitable manner as by means of the rows of perforations10, shown more clearly by Fig. 5. This enables the tangs 4 to be readilybentinto proper position and also insures a sharp angle at the point ofbending, this being necessary in order that the tangs or ends 4* may fitflat against the lower surface of the cover without bulging orprojecting outwardly beyond the same.

WVith this construction, it will be obvious that the body portion of theloop or finger piece 3 will normally tend to spring upwardly away fromthe cover or lid 1, as indicated by Figs. 2 and 3. When the finger piece3 is folded against the upper surface of the cover 1, as indicated bydotted lines upon Fig. 2, the straight ends or extremities 3 of the wireturn or revolve freely within the ferrule 4, although they are retainedin a fixed position therein, with the result that when the finger pieceis folded downwardly, the two end portions 3 of the wire instead ofbeing in a plane at substantially right angles to the body portion ofthe finger piece are in the same plane as the finger piece. This resultsin bending and producing increased tension in the wire so that as soonas the finger piece is released, it

again springs upwardly into normal and up- I right position. The fingerpiece 3 is thus always in such a position as to be readily grasped forthe purpose of Inoving'the cover or lid and is also held away from thebody portion of the cover so that it does not become heated inconnection therewith. When it is desired to pack the covers, or placeanother article on top of one of the covers, the finger piece can bereadily folded flat against the cover and a very slight amount ofpressure will be sufficient to maintain it in this position.Furthermore, only a slight amount of tension is produced in thewire whenthe finger piece is folded against the cover, so that the finger piecewill always spring upwardly into an upright position when released,regardless of the length of time the covers may have been packed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a finger piece for the lids of cooking utensils and the like, thecombination of a ferrule adapted to be applied to the lid, and a loopedfinger piece formed of spring wire, the ends of the wire being straightand being disposed at the base of the loop in a spaced and parallelposition, the said straight ends being received within the ferrule so asto rotate freely therein although he held against shifting theirposition when the finger piece is swung laterally out of normalposition, the tension thus produced in the wire causing'the finger pieceto return to normal position as soon as released.

2. In a finger piece for the covers of cooking utensils and the like,thecombination of a flattened ferrule adapted to be applied to thecover, and a looped finger piece formed of a single length of springwire, the ends of the wire being straight and being bent into a parallelposition at the base of'the loop, the said straight ends of the Wirebeing fitted within the'fiattened ferrule so as to rotate freely thereinand at the same time be held against shifting their position when 7 thefinger piece is swung laterally, the tension thus produced inthe wirecausing the finger piece to spring back to normal position as soon asreleased.

3. A finger piece for the covers of cook ing utensils and the like,including a trans versely fiattenedferrule adapted tobe applied to thecover, and a looped finger piece formed from a single length of springwire,

the extremities of the wire being straight and being disposed in aspacedand parallel posltion at the base of the loop, said straightextremitles of the wire being in a plane transverse to the plane of thebodyportion of the loop and being sprung together and inserted into theflattenedferrule when assembling the parts, the'ends of the wirerotating freely within the ferrule although being held against shiftingtheir position when the finger piece is swung laterally, and the tensionthus produced in the wire causing the finger piece to swing back intonormal position as soon as released.

In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS FRITZ.

Witnesses: RICHARD H. PEIPER, GEORGE IV. BROWN.

"Commissioner of Patents,

